For more than 40 years, Dr. Don Jeffrey has been a renaissance man for Troy University.
This week, the University honored that commitment and versatility by dedicating a statue to a man who has touched nearly every facet of the institution throughout his career.
At the Dothan Campus Wednesday, Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. dedicate a statue of famed chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, the inventor of the periodic table, to Jeffrey, who currently serves as Vice Chancellor of the Dothan Campus.
“Dmitri Mendeleev transformed chaos into order,” Hawkins said. “What a great strength—restoring order out of chaos. That is Don Jeffrey. It wasn’t that he couldn’t keep a job, but that he was just that good, and so he wore a lot of hats. He is a man of strength, a thoughtful person who has been a great member of our team.”
Jeffrey has served TROY in a variety of key roles for more than 40 years, including director of aquatics, chair of kinesiology and health, dean of health and human services, interim dean of arts and sciences, interim dean of education, and interim dean of communication and fine arts.
He has served as Vice Chancellor of the Dothan Campus since January 2016, his second stint in the role, which he first assumed from 2007 until 2014.
“It’s very humbling to have a statue placed in my honor, but it’s not about me,” Jeffrey said. “It’s always about my students, my faculty and staff who have been with me all these years, the ones that came before me, the ones who will be here after me. They make things like this happen. A high tide floats all boats, and I am so thankful for them.”
Jeffrey retired from the Army National Guard, where he served his country actively and in reserve status for more than 20 years. He received many awards during this time, including the Army Achievement medal for Desert Shield and the Bronze Star Medal in combat for Desert Storm.
The statue, located in front of Malone Hall came from a collection donated by the late artist Huo Bao Zhu, a longtime friend of the University who donated statues for use across the various TROY campuses.
